Jummel Hidrosollo / Special to the Home News
Fifth-grade teacher Christina Rainwater, left, and PTA president Maria Moilanen stand in front of a bulletin board promoting the recycling program at Roger D. Gehring Elementary School. The two worked together to start up the recycling program.
Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008 | 2:44 p.m.
Parents of students at Roger D. Gehring Elementary School will soon get the chance to rid their closets and garages of old electronics, phone books and plastic bags as the school kicks off its new recycling program.
"Gehring Goes Green" will be a collaborative effort between students, staff and the PTA throughout the 2008-2009 school year.
Christina Rainwater, who teaches a fifth grade elective class on being environmentally conscious, said the students in her class have been charged with involving all of their peers and the students in lower grades with the recycling program.
The fifth graders will talk to the younger students and produce public service announcements that will air in the school on Gehring's weekly live TV show, she said.
The recycling program is multifaceted in that it will teach the students about leadership skills, as well as let them work toward something that will affect them and let them know they've made a difference while at school, she said.
As part of the program, the entire school will work together this year to recycle paper and plastic bottles at lunch.
Rainwater said she's also working to organize collections of plastic grocery bags.
For every so many bags collected, she said Wal-Mart will give the school a certain amount of money as part of an environmentally friendly fundraiser.
The PTA has also dedicated itself this year to raising money for the school while teaching the students about conservation.
PTA President Maria Moilanen said as part of the recycling theme, the PTA will organize fundraising drives to collect old electronics, as well as old phone books .
"It's a new day in the PTA. We're not about selling things — we're about recycling things and it's still going to bring money to the school," she said.
Additionally, the PTA will try to set an environmentally conscious example by using the Internet for a lot of its communication with parents or by printing messages on half or quarter sheets of paper, she said.
As it is the first year the school is involving itself in many of the recycling programs, details are still being nailed down.
Principal Sandra Brody said the school hopes to eventually provide an avenue for community involvement.
Ashley Livingston can be reached at 990-8925 or [email protected].
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